The Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
The Frangipani Royal Palace is the best-value 4-star in central Phnom Penh, selling a breezy rooftop with panoramic city views, an easy walk from the Palace and the river.
The Frangipani Royal Palace is the best-value 4-star in central Phnom Penh, selling a breezy rooftop with panoramic city views, an easy walk from the Palace and the river.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a clean, modern white building hidden down a small lane in the Riverside district, a few steps off the bustle of Sisowath Quay — that is The Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel. Step into the lobby and you meet a warm look: teak tones against cream and soft brown, with woven Khmer textiles and carved sandstone details scattered about, so you know at once you are in Cambodia, not some nameless international chain. The building belongs to the Frangipani Hotels Group, which started with small boutiques in Phnom Penh and grew into a 4-star chain known for value. Inside the rooms the look is modern Asian — warm white walls over mid-brown wood floors, large soft beds in cream cotton with several pillows, and Khmer weaving as an accent at the headboard. Superior and Deluxe rooms are a fair size for central Phnom Penh, with a desk, a wardrobe and a tidy wet-and-dry bathroom; many have a small private balcony over the old-town rooftops. Step up to a Junior Suite for a sitting area, and some upper suites add a soaking tub or a Palace view. Reviews agree on the soft beds, clean linens, strong shower pressure and air-con that bites hard in Phnom Penh's hot, humid months — small things that decide how comfortable a trip really feels.
Food and amenities
If this hotel has a single heart, it is the rooftop. Ride the lift to the top floor and you find a small pool with sun loungers and woven umbrellas, ringed by a Sky Bar that opens onto views in every direction — the golden roofs of the Royal Palace on one side, the bend where the Mekong and Tonle Sap meet on another, and the Phnom Penh skyline stretching off to the horizon. From around 5:30 to 6:30pm, as the light softens, the bar is busiest, because reviews rate this one of the best sunset spots in the city at a reachable price. The drinks list weaves Khmer herbs like kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass into classic spirits, priced well below a 5-star hotel bar, with tapas and light local plates to go alongside. Downstairs, the main restaurant serves a made-to-order breakfast mixing Khmer dishes — bobor rice porridge, fried eggs with sides — and Western ones like croissants, fruit and scrambled eggs, which reviews call tasty and nicely presented. The ground-floor Khmer-massage spa is a popular wind-down after a day on foot.
Location and getting there
The address is a small lane in the Riverside old town, which is the point: you walk to almost everything. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda are about 5 to 7 minutes away on foot, and the four-faced river confluence (Chaktomuk), the National Museum, Wat Ounalom and Central Market all fall within 6 to 10 minutes. The trade-off is that the lane itself is quiet, with no dense restaurant cluster at the door — you walk about 5 minutes to reach the lined-up eateries on the main strip. Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) is roughly 30 to 45 minutes by car depending on traffic, and the front desk arranges the transfer for a fee. For getting around, have the hotel call a tuk-tuk rather than haggle on the street — the price is steady and the drivers know the local spots.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. First, room size and view: Standard Superior and Deluxe rooms are usable but not large, and the view varies a lot — some open onto the neighbor's wall down the lane, while upper-floor corner rooms catch the Palace or the river. Ask for an upper corner room at booking or check-in rather than paying to jump to a full suite. Second, the lane location keeps rooms quiet, especially at night, but means no restaurant cluster right outside; budget the 5-minute walk to the main strip. Third, the rooftop pool is genuinely pretty but small, built for cooling off and photos rather than laps, and it can fill when the Sky Bar gets busy in the evening. Finally, the building is more than 10 years old, so in the most humid months a few rooms feel less cold than a brand-new hotel, and there is one lift that can mean a short wait at check-in — minor points, but worth knowing.
Our take
After reading several hundred real guest reviews, our verdict is that The Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel pulls off a rare combination in Phnom Penh: a central old-town address, a rooftop with 360-degree city views, and a reachable price, all at once. If you are a couple, a pair of friends or a solo traveler who wants to walk to the Palace in minutes, soak in the rooftop pool in the afternoon, then head up to the Sky Bar for a cold cocktail as the last light drops behind the Mekong, this delivers without making you think hard about the bill. If you want a spacious room, a full-length pool, or an address that opens straight onto a buzzing food district, look at larger options in Tonle Bassac or along the main Riverside strip. Overall we give it 8.7/10 — best for travelers who want to soak up old-town Phnom Penh on foot, who value the view and the location over room size, and who want a 4-star that is genuinely good value in the city center.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Central location in the Riverside district (Sisowath Quay) — a 5 to 7-minute walk to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, and 6 to 8 minutes to the four-faced river confluence and the National Museum, so you can tour the old town entirely on foot.
- The rooftop pairs a small pool with a Sky Bar opening onto panoramic views in every direction; real reviews call it one of the prettiest sunset-drink spots in Phnom Penh at a reachable price.
- 4-star rates start around $43 a night and reach about $100 for a suite, which is a real bargain against comparable hotels in the city center.
- Rooms are cream-and-teak modern with Khmer textile and woodwork details, soft beds and a warm feel; many have a balcony looking over the old town.
- Staff draw consistent praise for being friendly and for sorting out tours, tuk-tuks and airport taxis, which suits first-time travelers who want a built-in guide.
- Standard Superior and Deluxe rooms are not large compared with the big chains, and some have no city view and look onto the neighboring building. Choose the room type carefully and request a view at booking.
- The hotel sits down a small lane in the old town, so it is quiet at night, but there is no dense cluster of restaurants and cafes right outside the way there is along the main Sisowath Quay strip — you walk about 5 minutes to reach it.
- The rooftop pool is small, better for cooling off and taking photos than swimming laps. If you expect a full-length pool, adjust your expectations or look at a larger resort.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Phnom Penh
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Insider Tips
- Request an upper-floor corner room facing the Palace or the river — real reviews say the view differs a lot between rooms, and asking at booking or check-in beats paying to jump up to a suite.
- Head to the rooftop Sky Bar around 5:30 to 6:30pm for the cool breeze and sunset behind the Palace, and bring a camera — the light photographs well and the crowd has not built up yet.
- Have the hotel call a tuk-tuk rather than haggling on the street — the price is steady, the driver knows the routes, and they will take you to good local Khmer spots most tourists walk straight past.